Sentinel Meets the New Guys
Lounge - Iacon -- The Past The lounge is smoky inside, as if many automotive engines have been unhealthily burning oil here or as if the filter units on the mufflers of the occupants are not up to regulation. Through the haze, one can make out well-worn benches and chairs scattered around even tables. There are dartboards on the walls bearing the faces of various Decepticons, such as Straxus and Scorponok. Curiously, there is also a dartboard that displays Alpha Trion, who has had a second moustache drawn over his normal moustache. A galactic pool ball table, with little planetary rings around the pool balls, is set up in one corner, though most of the sticks are bent, broken, or missing, and the chalk is frequently swiped. There is also what was once a strategic planning box table, but it has been converted into a gaming table, with a secret hole, just for aces, that only ace holes use. Contents: Runner Dealer's Booth Obvious exits: West leads to Main Lobby - Iacon -- The Past. As he promised, Sentinel Prime enters the lounge, along with an entourage of his "Elite Guard," aka his personal clique of friends. "'SUP BOTS!" he says, arms thrown wide. "Who's ready to PARTY!?" Runner is already sitting at the bar with a keg of the cheapest energon you can get here, the kind that get you intoxicated in no time. As Sentinel arrive with his clique, he turns around and raises his keg, "All hail our mighty leader!" Sentinel Prime shrugs. "Yeah, yeah, 'course I'm mighty. Hey, Runner? Check this out." Walking up to a really big keg, the kind that looks ridiculously heavy, Sentinel lifts it up, switches the nozzle on, and pushes it up and down in mid-air as a stream of fuel pours into his open mouth. Runner cheers for Sentinel Prime as he drink his keg, "Drink drink drink drink drink drink drink drink drink." then he downs his own keg before putting it back on the bar, "That's it? Exelcius can drink more than that I bet. One more Prime one more!... and where is everyone?" Signal_Light has arrived. Sentinel Prime sets down his keg after he downs the entire contents. He stumbles a bit, belching, but he manages to stay on his feet this time. "Uhh... damn. Well, I dunno. But, ya know, screw 'em. They don't wanna come over, it's just more energon for me." He wipes his chin off with the back of his arm and snorts. Nightbeat has arrived. Runner orders another keg of energon, "Bunch of boring losers. They must all be in Killarn doing science with Maximus..." The autobot warrior quickly down his keg...energon dripping on his chin, "But you're right... I'm going to party hard tonight to forget I'm stuck in that hole." Signal_Light is totally not here to spy on anyone! Okay, he's spying. However, Signal Light *is* an Autobot, so it's completely acceptable for him to be here. He steps in and looks around, optics scanning the room, having heard that something of interest might be happening here... Then he sees that it's really just the same old, same old. Oh, well. Nightbeat is, ostensibly, here to document the excesses of Sentinel Prime's regime, so as to provide documented evidence, but really, anyone with optics can see the truth, here. Funny how many people don't even use the visual sensors that the factory gave them. But Nightbeat's not one to quibble. He leans against the doorway, expression thoughtful. Sentinel Prime snorts at what Runner says. "Huh. Doin' science, huh? Frickin' nerds. You know what I think we should do? We should grab some of the foil, that stuff that's in the science balloons? And just, like, throw it all over their labs. That would be frickin' awesome, then they'd have to clean it up and stuff." Signal_Light is glad he's here! Already he's gotten useful information! (And confirmation that Sentinel Prime is, indeed, plotting against him.) He pauses and looks back at Nightbeat, frowning, and moves over to speak with the detective. "Why are you here?" he mutters. "Did you follow me?" Runner starts to laugh as he listens to Sentinel, "Ha ha ha that would be awesome. All those wuss would be pissed off... you got to wonder how such a bunch of nerds haven't been able to survive... they should thank us for saving their butt from Straxus." Sentinel Prime smirks. "Heh, yeah. You know, I've called Straxus out a buncha times, but he won't fight me. Frickin' wuss is scared of me? Am I right? Am I right, guys?" The "Elite Guard" standing behind him whoops and hollers. "Yeah, this is sounding like a good idea. We're gonna over there and totally mess their labs up." Signal_Light finally decides to speak up, hoping Sentinel won't realize who he is (Sentinel doesn't seem all *that* detail oriented). "Shouldn't you... erm, I mean, shouldn't *we* be focusing on the Decepticons instead?" Nightbeat notes gently, "I do have a functioning radio, Signal Light." Remember, Sentinel Prime announced the party on the radio! What a disaster it would be, if the Decepticons attacked Iacon now! The defenders would be too addled to uphold the core bastion of the Autobot cause. Despite what he hears, the talk of Sentinel Prime's Autobots openly antagonising Fortess Maximus's Autobots, he smiles slightly and politely salutes Sentinel Prime. He is, after all, the Matrix bearer. If he wasn't that drunk, Runner may wonder why infact Straxus pretty much never fought Sentinel. After all he killed many Autobots warriors over the years. But he is just too drunk to think straight, "Yeah... that old piece of junk must be scared." He chuckles for himself. He glances towards Nightbeat, "Hum... look who's here." Sentinel Prime grins. "Heheheh, yeah. Scared of me." Then Signal Light dares to question Sentinel Prime's wisdom, and his merry mood quickly sours. "The hell did you just say, Signal... Guy?" Sentinel yells, spinning around and pointing a finger in Signal Light's face. Fairway has arrived. Signal_Light cringes and steps back, but he doesn't correct Sentinel. In fact, he confirms, "Signal Guy. Yes, sir. And I was just wondering if maybe it wouldn't be better to focus on the Decepticons instead of, you know... antagonizing other Autobots." There appears to be a party of some sort in progress. Specifically, a kegger. Sentinel Prime sticks his finger into Signal Light's chest. Hard. "OF COURSE we focus on the Decepticons. Anybody sayin' we DON'T?" The "Elite Guard" accompanying Sentinel Prime shake heir heads. "Nah, that's right. 'Course I'm gonna beat them. But says I can't have a little fun, huh? Being Autobot Leader's hard work. HEY, SOMEONE GET ME A BEER!" Runner throws a beer in the general direction of Sentinel Prime, "INCOMINGGGGGGGGG!!!!!" Sentinel Prime snatches the beer in mid-air without even watching its approach. "Thanks, bro-bot." Signal_Light stumbles backwards as the finger is stabbed into his chest, and is almost knocked over. He's not very strong, it seems. He frowns and rubs his chest, then sighs. "It just... seems a needless way to antagonize those we *could* be working with." Fairway is in a bad way. The longer he wanders, the more he feels that something is not quite right. He has suddenly found himself on Cybertron by uncertain means, separated from his comrades, and his processor is still reeling. He feels pressure on his innard, hinting to him that he may soon be forced to void his tanks. He enters what seems to be a simple base to find unfamiliar Cybertronians having ...a party? "Hello," he says weakly, "I...I think I may be lost." Nightbeat chews on his lip. He stands near the door - near the escape, one should observe. And to observe is exactly while he's here. Not to speak up, as Signal Light is doing. He looks over Fairway - never seen anyone who looks quite like that, and Nightbeat's seen a lot and has a perfect memory. He offers a shoulder to Fairway and suggests, "Yeah, probably. Have a drink? Looks like you need one." Loose lips say the most interesting things. Runner glances towards Fairway but he doesn't recognize him, "Hummm who's this guy? Must be a Killarn guy...doesn't look tough enough to be one of our boy." He orders yet another keg of energon but he drinks he slower this times. "WAIT A MINUTE!" Sentinel Prime abandons bullying Signal Light, though not without glaring at him, he turns his attention to Fairway. "I don't know this guy, who the hell is this guy? Yeah, I bet he's with the NERDS. You a nerd, buddy?" Rudely, he seizes Fairway by the shoulders. Signal_Light looks a touch relieved as Sentinel Prime leaves him alone to focus on the newcomer, but as he catches sight of the newcomer, he immediately takes on a more suspicious cast to his expression. His optics narrow and he tilts his head, trying to make out the stranger's alternate mode. Nightbeat's face twitches as Sentinel Prime grabs what is obviously an injured Transformer (though he isn't convinced the fellow is an Autobot. Symbols can lie). He reports softly, "Sir, he's not one of Fortress Maximus's boys. Unless he's a real recent transfer or recruit." Real recent. Nightbeat stays on top of these things. Fairway is a little confused that Nightbeat has forgotten that he doesn't drink. "Nightbeat," he begins, but before he can finish he is grabbed by the shoulders. "Primus! I-ugh...please don't do that." He clutches his abdomen. "What is a nerd? I am Fairway, autobot engineer." Sentinel Prime glares at Nightbeat, then at Fairway again. "Yeah, but he says he's a bot, and he ain't a bot I ever heard of. So who the hell is he? You know what? I'll just ask you, "Fairway." WHO THE HELL ARE YOU?" He puts a big blue finger right in Fairway's face. Runner may be drunk but he's not a jerk unless someone that shall not me named...right Prime??? He places himself between the two bot and puts his hand on Sentinel Prime's shoulder, "Relax boss. He must be a new recruit. In case you forgot we have a couple of agents recruiting all the neutral they can." Signal_Light looks at Nightbeat, then at Fairway, then at Nightbeat. His optics narrow once more, and he points out, "How did he... recognize you, Nightbeat?" Fairway backs up against the wall and raises his hands. "Please, I mean no harm! My designation is Fairway, my function is engineer. I am an Autobot stationed on Earth under the comman of Ultra Magnus. I am indeed a new recruit. I hail from Crystal City." Nightbeat pauses and stares at 'Fairway', as if trying to look right through him. This 'Fairway' is acting like he knows Nightbeat, but Nightbeat has never set his optics on him, he's sure of it. That's perplexing. 'Fairway' doesn't sound like a liar, based off vocal analysis. Just sounds confused. Nightbeat inquires, voice soft, "Should I know you, Fairway? Someone give you my name?" And then it gets weirder. Sentinel Prime looks at Runner with a bit of a surprised look. "We do? I mean, uh, of course we do, sure. So you're a new guy, then." Sentinel calms down somewhat, and backs off a little. "Uh, the hell are you talkin' about, though, "Fairway"? Ultra Magnus? Never heard of him. And what's Earth? Some kinda neutral city?" "Earth? Ultra Magnus?" Signal Light says, rubbing the top of his head in confusion. Then he shakes his head and he leans in, optics narrowed, as he jabs his finger toward Fairway. "If you're going to lie, /Decepticon/, you need better ones than that!" Like the other Runner is confused by Fairway's speach, "Hum look like they didn't recruit the sharpest knife of the drawer..." Nightbeat squints at Fairway and asks, perhaps chartiably, "You one of those lost colony boys, come back to the big city at last?" That's the only /nice/ explaination for Fairway's story. Heck. Earth could be a lost colony world, and Ultra Magnus could be a commander there. Otherwise, Fairway is either a liar, delusional, stupid, or some combiation thereof. Fairway cocks his head. For a moment he is stunned silent. "Earth...It's a...planet...wait." He looks closely at Sentinel Prime and his optics brighten. His mouth drops open. Suddenly the ache in his stomach overwhelms him and he turns to put his head out the door. His tanks compress and blue-purple fluid shoots from his mouth in a pressurized jet. Signal_Light steps back, surprised, and rubs the back of his head. He looks up at Sentinel, then down at Fairway, then up at Sentinel. Finally, he mutters, "I didn't think the chin is *that* bad..." Sentinel Prime watches Fairway, a bit stunned. Then he howls with laughter. "OH MAN, I think I get it now. Look at this guy, he's so drunk off his aft plates he doesn't know where he is or what the hell is going on! Runner, get this guy some more beer, I wanna see what he does next." Dingding! Score one for the lost colony theory! Nightbeat grimaces as Fairway vomits, and he soothes, "Easy there, kid." Or, possibly, score for the overcharged theory. He looks over Fairway's injuries curiously, wondering about the age and ccause of the damages. Runner laughs and nods at Prime. He heads over towards the bar and grabs a keg full of enerbeer before offering it to Fairway, "Have this buddy. It's good for you." he adds with a smirk on his face. Fairway recovers, standing upright and wiping his mouth. He tries to compose himself - to find some measure of decorum. He takes the drink this time, thanking Runner. "Nightbeat," he says when speech returns, "What is going on?" He looks back to Sentinel Prime. "You...cannot be who you seem to be. I'm sorry I - I'm disoriented. Tell me - do you know of Orion Pax?" Signal_Light looks back at Nightbeat, and frowns once more. Or rather, the frown that had been there deepens. "He keeps acting like he knows you. Can you figure out *what* he's talking about?" Nightbeat asks again, "Who gave you my name, Fairway? No one told me to watch out for you." He sounds a bit perturbed. How did he miss this? Then, he says mildly, "Oh no, Sentinel Prime is definitely the Matrix bearer and leader of the Autobots." Just the facts. His head tilts to the side. "Can't say I've ever heard the name 'Orion Pax'. He someone you know back home, on Earth?" Sentinel Prime gives Fairway a funny look. "Man, who do you think I am? How drunk are you, man? I don't think *I've* even gotten so drunk that I couldn't recognize my own boss--then again, I don't have one!" He laughs really hard at that, even though the joke didn't really make much sense. "Yeah, and who's this Pax guy? Friend of yours?" Andi Lassiter steps out of the house and off of the front porch. Andi Lassiter has arrived. "Orion Pax," Fairway begins, "is...wait." He is starting to put this puzzle together, and the picture he's seeing isn't pretty at all. It only makes his head hurt more. "You are Sentinel Prime. You," he points to Nightbeat, "are Nightbeat, binary bonded to Muzzle. We serve together on the planet Earth among Autobots Commanded by..." He looks to Sentinel Prime yet again, "...Rodimus Prime. But perhaps I am getting ahead of myself. Where...am I?" Runner chuckles, "You really are a wierdo but I do like you.... now where's my beer?" He goes back to the bar to order a new one and he downs it like if it was maintenance oils. He stumbles towards a chair and falls on it. Apparently he reached the limits of his endurance and get himself so drunk that he's going into emergency shutdown. "I...,m... beer..." Signal_Light *stares* at Fairway. "'Rodimus Prime'? No such person!" he exclaims, then he shakes his head and looks between Nightbeat and Sentinel. "Obviously, this mechanoid is delusional." Sentinel Prime snorts. "Nahhhh, I keep tellin' ya man, he's just drunk. Now he's making names up, that's pretty funny. Look, tell ya what, "Fairway," keep chugging that beer. Eventually you'll pass out, and when you wake up? Everything will make a LOT more sense." Nightbeat hypothesizes, "Well, 'Rodimus Prime' could have been one of the ancient Primes before you, sir, perhaps the Prime in service when the founders of Fairway's colony departed." Yes, Nightbeat is still going with the 'lost colony' theory. "...but I've never served with you kid, and I sure as shooting aren't bonded to anyone named Muzzle. I work alone." A pause. "So the kid is probably just overcharged, yeah." Andi Lassiter is wandering around somewhere outside the Lounge, disoriented, chilled through, and wondering if like Lewis Carroll's Alice she somehow fell into the painting of ancient Cybertron that Fairway gave her. She huddles a bit further into the shawls she has pulled across her shoulders to ward off the cold, walking along a public thoroughfare and staying close to the buildings to avoid being stepped on by the bustling denizens of this unfamiliar Autobot city...none of these people seem to even think about watching where they step and she's nearly been squashed several times already. "This has GOT to be some kind of seriously messed up concussion-induced dream," she says to herself quietly, gingerly reaching one shaky hand to clotted wound in her hairline above her left eye. "It's got to be." Sentinel Prime frowns at Nightbeat's suggestion. "Naahhhhh, I don't think so. That name, Rodimus... doesn't sound familiar. I mean, I got all those guys in the Matrix, and, you know, I don't usually bother with those dumbasses who got themselves skragged. But still? It doesn't FEEL like that would be a Prime. I guess." He has not noticed any humans wandering in yet. Nightbeat is standing near the door of the lounge, and he hears something awful weird, so he peeks his head out the door, and with his excellent vision, he's just barely able to pick out a little alien. He slaps his forehead and groans, "Looks like someone's imported pet from Agorahex got loose! Signal Light, you got any cages?" Signal_Light frowns at Nightbeat and shakes his head. "Cages? No. But we could probably open up one of the empty kegs and use that?" He starts to crowd the door himself. "What's it look like?" Fairway stares into the middle distance, trying to make sense of all this. He is reeling, and the fact that he can't get his bearings is starting to make him angry...excessively so. He bunches his fists and vents a slow sigh and formulates a plan. "All right," he says. Steps to the bar and presents his datapad. Thank Primus he's still got it. "This is the best way I can think of right now to tell you what I think has happened." He activates the datapad and lays it on top of the bar. He downloads into it his personal information - rank, serial number, the date he entered service, and his assignment. "I believe that I have been transported backward in time. In my own time, Sentinel Prime passed the Matrix to Orion Pax, who took command as Optimus Prime when transfigured by its power. Upon his death, the Autobot Hot Rod assumed leadership, being reformatted into Rodimus Prime. Friend Nightbeat...I know you in what is your future. I-" before he can finish, he's distracted by Nightbeat's question. "Pet?" Nightbeat says, "Actually, Sentinel Prime didn't pass it to Orion Pax, in TF2K5 history, but there's no reason you'd have the facts straight." Nightbeat says, "He passed it to Sarikus Prime. Who passed it to someone unspecified. And then Orion Pax eventually got it." Signal_Light nods. "Also, Optimus wasn't transformed by the Matrix. He was rebuilt by Alpha Trion. So far as I know, the only one physically transformed was Roddy." Fairway says, "Of course I remember that now." Fairway says, "About Prime being rebuilt." Fairway slaps forehead. Fairway says, "In my defense, there's a lot of conflicting lore to remember. :)" Nightbeat reports, "Oh, some kind of miniature hairless space ape. Doesn't smell as bad as Apeface." At Fairway's story, he says distractedly, "Oh, that's nice. And just what kind of medications are you supposed to be on, anyway?" Overcharged has been rearranged to a conclusion of 'delusional'. Seriously delusional, to go fake data like that. Andi Lassiter is probably very odd looking to those unfamiliar with humans -- she's oddly multi-colored for starters, and only vaguely mechanoid in shape. A cascade of near-black...something hangs from her head, her face is pale but not white and smeared with something brownish over one 'optic'. The rest of the small figure is even odder, colored purple and black and cream and denim blue with an odd tan-colored ... growth on one hip. She gasps and presses herself against the building at her side when yet another Cybertronian walks by WAY too close for comfort. Sentinel Prime scratches the top of his head, looking increasingly confused. "Huh? You're saying you're from the FUTURE? Oh, for crying out loud, man, you are wasted. Hey, that's a nice datapad, though..." He reaches around Fairway's shoulder to try and snatch the datapad. "This a new model?" Finally, he also overhears the bit about a pet. "Pet? Dammit, you morons, I told you, no organics in the base!" Jazz arrives from the Main Lobby - Iacon -- The Past to the west. Jazz has arrived. Signal_Light takes careful note of everything that Fairway is saying, looking up at Nightbeat again and mouthing, 'told you.' As he does this, however, he grabs one of the kegs. "Can someone help me get one end off this thing? Maybe we can cage it." Grimlock has arrived. "Space ape?" Fairway turns to Sentinel Prime. "This is a new model from your perspective, certainly." He lets Sentinel Prime pick up the datapad. He WANTS the others to see and study it. "Now, if you'll excuse me..." He gets up from the bar and hurries to where the others are standing. He looks over their shoulders and is both relieved and terrified to see Andi! "Doctor!" He waves his hands. "Doctor Lassiter!" Nightbeat suggests to Fairway, "Better keep a tighter leash on your pet, kid. Coulda got stepped on in a busy base like this. Awfully irresponsible of you, just letting it roam! And, y'know, don't bring it in /this/ base. Regulations and all." "Hnn. This Autobot base?" So says the mighty Grimlock! Though, at the moment, Grimlock isn't quite as mighty as he could be- battered and burnt as he is, he's mostly managed to get this far based on the Autobot symbol on his chest and dirty looks to everyone else. "Not LOOK like base." he says- and then settles his optic visor on Fairway. "Hnn. You get telly-ported too? Or is you some other guy?" Grimlock pushes himself off of where he leans on the doorjamb, and sets to glaring at most everyone in the room- well, except for: "Andi?" Andi Lassiter hears a familiar voice calling her name FINALLY and turns quickly toward the source, but then gasps again and closes her eyes as the head injury makes itself known again very unpleasantly. She takes a moment to gather herself and tries to reply to the voice without sounding shaky or weak. "Fairway?" Once is chance. Twice is coincidence. Three times is conspiracy. One crazy 'Autobot' named Fairway. One hairless space ape pet. One angry primitive. Dingdingding. Nightbeat rubs the side of his head and asks, "Why do the parties always bring out the weirdos?" He glances sidelong at Sentinel Prime. Perhaps because they start with the weirdos. Sentinel Prime fusses with the datapad, frowning heavily as he randomly taps it with his big fingers. "What kinda interface is this? Man, how do you do anything? There's like, no buttons at all, it's just the dumb screen." Eventually, he gets frustrated and carelessly tosses the device over his shoulder. He approaches Fairway from behind, and peers around him at Lassiter. "So where's the--OH GEEZE!" He scrambles away from Andi, sorta freaking out. "What the hell is that!?" Then Grimlock stomps in. "And who the hell are you!?" Jazz walks into the room looking like his old futuristic self! Back he was a hot Cybertronian sports car. "I hope you guys saved some of the good stuff for me. I had to drive all the way from my trip to Killarn and..." He stops as he notices the /new/ guys. "Hey shoulda told me were would be having guests I would have prepared a little entertainment." Signal_Light completely fails to get the keg top off, and sighs. He looks rather nervously at Andi - more nervous than he looks at Grimlock's arrival, in fact - then over at Fairway. "Can you keep your creature under control? What *is* that thing, anyway?" Signal Light is, incidently, a red and white Autobot with a Cybertronian vehicle alternate mode. Fairway is still just a tad overwhelmed - hence his historical gaffes. "Andi! Thank Primus. And Grimlock!" He's a little concerned at the appearance of Grimlock. Here he was trying to explain everything calmly and thoroughly. He looks to Signal Light and the others in turn. "This is Dr. Lassiter. She is a human. From Earth!" He kneels and offers Andi a hand should she want to get away from stamping robot feet. "And Grimlock...a Dinobot. And you're Jazz!" He's getting dizzy again. He feels overcharged, though he hasn't consumed enough to be intoxicated. "I know all of this seems impossible, but I promise that I'm entirely sane and telling the truth. We are displaced in time. At least...I think we are." Grimlock glares at Sentinel Prime, just a matter of principle. "Hn." he grunts, narrowing his optic visor. Still, he limps over towards Fairway and Andi, standing over the engineer and the human as a shaky-footed guardian. "Uuuuh. Us...not from 'round here." he finally says, and then gives Fairway a *POKE* "No pay 'tention to him. Him Fairway TALK TOO MUCH." he says. Really, it's a good thing Grimlock doesn't have a proper face in this mode. It makes him a better liar. "Him crazy." Jazz squints a little bit behind his visor as Fairway exclaims his name. "Have I met you before? Do you know me from the club?" He turns towards and Andi and smiles "What a cute and fascinating creature you have there. What'd you called it? Yooman?" Signal_Light looks rather intently at Jazz and Nightbeat for a moment, then points to his head before shaking it and looking back at Grimlock and Fairway. And now they're... contradicting each other? "So he is delusional? I thought as much!" He frowns and leans towards the group. "Who sent him here? You people are just some sort of wild distraction, aren't you?!" Nightbeat spares a second glance for the hulking primitive, who miraculously, appears to be better-spoken and saner than the silver Autobot. Sighing, he stoops to ask Grimlock, "So... Fairway /is/ crazy? I asked him if he was off his meds, but he hasn't been lucid enough to give me a straight answer. He let his pet space ape off its leash, too. Sentinel Prime doesn't like 'em in the base, y'know? Might wanna take it outside." Fairway sags. He doesn't have the energy to object just now. Clearly his disorientation, dizziness, and the pain in his stomach are the result of the time jump. He moans, leaning against the bar, and says the only thing that seems apt at this point. "This is heavy, Doc." Sentinel Prime smirks at Grimlock. "Oh, ok, yeah that makes more sense, then. Look, I still don't know who YOU are, buddy. Jazz!" He waves over to the Autobot in question. "Can you tell me what the frack is going on? I got strange people running around all over the place." Andi Lassiter flinches as yet another giant robot gets too close, but this time she realizes it's Fairway. "Oh thank god," She says quietly to herself. She can't really understand what everyone is saying if they're not speaking in English so she doesn't try, keeping her arms huddled under the shawls around her shoulders which just makes her look armless and even weirder. She moves to climb onto the offered hand, but then risks looking up at Grimlock. "Holy crap, Grimmy, you look beat all to hell." One of her arms emerges from the purple lace around her shoulders and she starts to rummage in her bag, taking a moment to dig out her little human-sized medical scanner -- clearly Cybertronian technology but miniaturized to a nearly ridiculous size. Jazz turns to Sentinel Prime "I don't know boss but I will ask around the usual circles. Might learn more. Any idea who they are and how they got here?" Grimlock stares at Signal Light and Nightbeat. "Uuuuh. Us...get...ambushed. By septi-cons. Them guys am big jerks." he nods. "Him Fairway get hit in head." And Grimlock pats Fairway on the head- none too gently, perhaps ready to give Fairway the cranial trauma he's talking about. "Him not same since." this said, he looks back down at Andi. "Uuuuh. Her...am...uh...him pet. It okay. She not contagious." If Grimlock could wink at Andi, he would. Instead, he just sort of angles his head towards her in a half-nod. Andi Lassiter looks from Grimlock to Fairway and back, then at the others. Jazz, but looking like the medical records in Metroplex said he USED to. Other faces she doesn't recognize at all. She didn't understand anything Grimock said but caught the tone of his voice and the half-nod. She knows the Dinobot leader is not nearly as dim-witted as people might think, so she follows his lead and tries to smile and wave hello to the strangers. Signal_Light falls silent for now, but he studies the strangers intently, taking in what's going on. His suspicious expression suggests that he doesn't believe *any* of it, but he keeps such problems to himself. Nightbeat rubs the side of his head again and notes, "And he made his space ape a miniature scanner, too? That's... really kinda crazy." Nightbeat just shakes his head. He looks over Grimlock carefully. "That's a real sad story. Who do you run with?" He crosses his arms, awaiting an answer. Sentinel Prime points down at the organic thing. "Geeze, it can talk, too! Look, I just don't want that thing getting waste every where and chewing on the power cables!" He shrugs at Jazz, then. "I dunno, we were thinkin' they're either drunk or from a colony or sumthin'." He glances at Grimlock, hmms, then says, "Nah, the big guy says it was a Decepticon attack or something. I guess that makes more sense." Grimlock uuuhs at Nightbeat. Oh jeez. More questions. "Uh. Some...other guys. There this guy- him red n' blue n' white. Big weenie. Also, little medic-femme too." he nods. "Uuuh. Us...just Autobots?" he ventures- and points to the big red face emblazoned on his chest, just to prove his point. Patchwork has arrived. Andi Lassiter carefully tucks the scanner away again in the hopes that no one noticed it. She does venture a guess, though, that these other Autobots can't speak English anymore than she can speak Cybertronian. "Grimlock, are you all right? Maybe we should all go somewhere defensible so I can patch you up." "Andi," Fairway moans, "I am...unwell. Please tell them I'm not...grk! Not glitched." His tanks compress again, but there is nothing left to empty from them. "I've tried to explain our predicament...Don't see why they would believe Grimlock before me. Where's my datapad?" Patchwork heard, and apparently, has come running. Well, not running so much as meandering, all wide-opticed and curious as she studies the lounge she's found her way into. No doubt she sees Grimlock, he's hard to miss, but the medic isn't rushing to approach him quite yet. Nightbeat's optical visor narrows, and he asks softly, "Just Autobots. Is that so?" And then someone ELSE that Nightbeat has never seen before shows up. He throws his hands up in the air and exclaims, "Oh, for the love of regulations!" Jazz pulls out a small PDA and scribbles some notes into it about his various tasks for the coming days. Of course it's just a cover what he really is doing is snapping a few pictures of the new arrivals. Since there is no flash nothing suggests anything out of the ordinary. After he is done he walks over to Grimlock and looks up at the much taller mech "Haven't seen many fellas your size around here. You work in...construction or something? Lots of heavy lifting involved I bet." "It okay!" Grimlock says, and glances over at Patchwork as she enters. "That medic-femme me Grimlock tell yous 'bout." he hmms- and as Jazz speaks up, Grimlock grunts. "Uuuh. Demolition." he notes. Andi Lassiter says, "Fairway, I don't think they understand English, and all I can in Cybertronian is 'hello' and 'repairs'." Sentinel Prime points at the newest newcomer as she barges in. "Who the hell is--oooh!" Wiping a bit of booze from his face to look a bit classier, he grins, and in his best, most suave voice, says, "And who may you be, my lady?" He bows a bit to Patchwork. A femme gumby, looking distraught, says, "But, Sentinel--" "Shut up, you," Sentinel says to the gumby. "You're *old* news." "Oh," Patchwork grins as she realizes she's not only being looked at, but talked about. "That's me! You better be saying only nice things, Grimlock!" She starts forward again, practically bouncing on her toes before Prime's comment draws her attention. "Patchwork...and I keep telling Grimlock, it's not nice to tell people to shut up, you know...but I've never been called 'my lady' before. I like that!" Jazz nods at Grimlock's vague answer "I see, probably very good at it. Are you of the new guys they used to raze Praxus before the big renovations a few cycles back? Heard the renovations were quite the engineering feat." Grimlock uuuuhs at Jazz. "Um. No?" he ventures, somehow sensing a trap. Jazz is sneaky, after all! "Like me said. Us just get here, n' BAM. Septi-con attack! Me crush lots of thems, but us get sep-ar-ated. And him get hit on head." he points at Fairway. "Uuuh. You guys have med-bay? Me want get fixed so me can go break more septi-con heads." Sentinel Prime keeps up that whole suave routine as he grins at Patchwork. "Well, then, 'Patchwork,' if you liked that, you're gonna LOVE me." He snaps his fingers. "Someone get this femmebot a drink!" Returning his attention to Patchwork, he says, "So, uh, you seem to know these guys." He points at the Dinobot. "That one's Grimlock, huh?" Andi Lassiter shivers and huddles into her shawls again, looking around at everyone openly. Might as well, since they're staring too. She looks over at Jazz as he chats with Grimmy in Cybertronian and hopes she remembers this right. "Hello?" She pulls one arm from under her shawls to point from Grimlock to Fairway. "Repairs." "Yup," Patchwork agrees, still grinning up at Prime before she motions towards Fairway. "And that's Fairway...oh, and that's Andi." She makes a quick switch, Then Grimlock is speaking, and the medic's head turns. "Who's damaged? A drink? Oh, I can't, not if I have work to do, but maybe later? And...who are you, anyways?" Signal_Light stares at Andi, then looks up at Fairway. "So they're trainable? Impressive!" he says, in the tone of voice that suggests he might be talking about a well-trained parrot. Jazz chuckles at Andi then turns to Nightbeat "Aww man isn't it cool. They taught their Yooman to try and talk like us. Wow. I wonder what else we could teach it." He turns back Grimlock and Fairway then back at Andi with a smile since he cannot talk english yet he will simply do his best. He shrugs points to Sentinel Prime then points up. Hoping she understands the decision is not in his hands. You receive a radio message from Jazz: Their YOOman is asking if we can repair it's masters. What's your feeling on this bossman? Nightbeat sees that a pretty lady is all it takes for Sentinel Prime to lose his healthy sense of paranoia. Nightbeat will be blasted before he lets a dame distract him like that! he doesn't trust these people, and he doesn't trust their little pet ape, either! He says quietly to Jazz, "'Cute' is not quite the word I would use." You send a radio message to Jazz: What? How can it know how to do that? No way! Don't let it touch their guts, it'll get its stuff everywhere!' Signal_Light seems very distracted by *something,* and he's absently rubbing the side of his head. He occasionally glances between Jazz, Nightbeat, and Sentinel Prime. You receive a radio message from Jazz: I don't know it would sound awfully complicated for a trained ape to fix them but still maybe we could fix them or at least start with the smaller ones. Not sure I trust the big fella. Sentinel Prime gives Andi Lassiter a disgusted look, but when he returns his attention to Patchwork he's all smiles again. "Yeah, I know about 'Fairway.' And, uh, ok, 'Andi''s your pet's name. Ok." He doesn't seem interested in that. "You sure you don't want a--wait." His face goes blank. "You don't know who I am?" Andi Lassiter looks from Jazz to the 'bot he's talking to and then blinks in surprised recognition. He looks different, though. None of the telltale modifications that means Muzzle is here. So he's from the other side of the looking glass like Jazz is. She looks up at Fairway again worriedly. If he really is feeling not-well, and she's in his hand...that could be a bad thing. "Me not know either, big chin man." Grimlock notes. 'helpfully.' You send a radio message to Jazz: Man, just have Pipo fix them. He loves that stuff. As for the big guy, I dunno. I kinda like him. Sentinel Prime's cheek twitches. "You don't have a problem with my chin, do ya buddy?" he says in a low voice, sloooowly turning his towards Grimlock. The "Elite Guard," the group of gumbies that usually follows Sentinel around and is composed of his personal friends, put on worried looks and back slooowly away from their boss. You receive a radio message from Jazz: Something funny about the big guy though maybe I will know more tomorrow. Patchwork shakes her head slightly, smile faultering for a brief moment before she shrugs and grins. "I'm bad with names, though. And kind of new, so it shouldn't surprise you. And I'm al ways being told I should pay more attention to stuff...and not just flowers and stuff." Hesitating, she turns, and peers at Andi, smile fading again. "He isn't?" Hrming quielty, she looks back up to Prime. "Can I use your repair bay to fix Fairway? Please? And don't mind Grimlock...he's always rude and mean. He just doesn't know any better." Nightbeat wishes he could understand the weird language these weirdos are using to speak with their little pet. It makes him antsy when he can't understand what is going on. He tries to elbow Signal Light. Grimlock narrows his optic ridge at Sentinel. "Nope." he says- though with a slightly dismissive tone in his voice. Big talk coming from a dinobot who's clearly not at top capacity! He finally glances down, nodding at Patchwork. "Yeah. Whut her says." and he even steps forward (slowly, one might note)- and he attempts to grab both Patchwork and Fairway by the arm (hey, he's got two arms!). "Where you medic bay?" Sentinel Prime sighs, a little exasperated. "Ok, I'm SENTINEL PRIME, ok, guys? Man. How the hell do you not know who the Autobot leader is?" Grimlock gets a squint from him, but Sentinel waves it off. "Ehhh. Yeah, ok, use the medical bays to fix yourselves up. Just don't let the little creature touch your innards, it'll lay eggs in you or something. And watch out for Maximus! He's the biggest wuss EVER." Patchwork giggles quietly, hand lifting to cover her mouth only to be caught halfway up by Grimlock. "Hey!" she protests before she looks back to Prime. "And then I'll come back for a drink. Promise, okay?" Fairway says, "I know you... for what it's worth. I studied you for a whole semester in New Crystal City, which hasn't been built yet." "NO LISTEN TO HIM FAIRWAY 'CUZ HIM AM CRAZY." Grimlock notes- and he sets about dragging both technicians (and, by proxy, Andi) off towards where he hopes the Medical may be bay! Fairway says, "I know you... for what it's worth. I studied you for a whole semester in Crystal City, which hasn't been built yet." You send a radio message to Jazz: Ok, I don't trust the big guy, either. He made a crack about my chin. So, find out what his deal is. You receive a radio message from Jazz: If we had to be suspicious about everyone who made a crack about your chin I would be busy for a few eons investigating them all haha. You send a radio message to Jazz: What!? Everyone's doing it?! Ah, man. Sentinel Prime shakes his head. "Yeah, uh, have Pipo fix your freaking head while you're in there, ok, Fairway? And don't drink so much. Damn, I never thought I'd say that, but come on." Fairway does understand Andi. For whatever reason, the movie reference seems to be the only thing that manages to get through to him clearly. "I, uh, I apologize for my outburst," he says, not entirely sure he wants to go back on everything he's already said, "I need to rest, friends. Prime. Thank you." He follows Grimlock readily. Clearly more thought is needed about this situation. His datapad is still in the bar. Nightbeat rubs his chin thoughtfully. Fairway is clearly deranged. However, Grimlock really seems to want them all to believe that Fairway is crazy. How odd. He gasps a little at Sentinel Prime's advice. Grimlock exeunt! Patchwork is dragged out, but not before she can offer a quick wave to Prime and the others. Grimlock moves west to the Main Lobby - Iacon -- The Past. Grimlock has left. Patchwork moves west to the Main Lobby - Iacon -- The Past. Patchwork has left. Andi Lassiter gives both Jazz and Nightbeat a searching, almost hopeful look, but then her expression hardens at Sentinel's tone of voice. She's not liking this guy right now. And then they're all moving away from the lounge as Grimmy makes them move. Fairway moves west to the Main Lobby - Iacon -- The Past. Fairway has left. Andi Lassiter moves west to the Main Lobby - Iacon -- The Past. Andi Lassiter has left. Sentinel Prime shakes his head. "Man. Crazy frickin' day." He heaves out a great sigh, and collapses onto a couch. "Oof. So, uh, what do you guys think of the newcomers, huh?" Nightbeat shrugs and admits, "Drunks, delusional, liars - something along those lines. But I had... better get back to Killarn. Maybe make a check of Retoris, too." Warn them about the lunatics posing as Autobots and all. He edges toward the door. Signal_Light looks around at the others. He quietly heads over to the bar, and without a word (and hopefully while no one is looking, but with Nightbeat and Jazz there, that seems unlikely), he grabs the datapad that Fairway had left and slips it into subspace. "They sound like madmen," Signal Light says softly once the datapad is securely aquired. Jazz leans on the wall with his arms crossed. "That Fairway one looks damaged somehow in the head. The big one is smarter than he looks smelled the trap about the construction job. Haven't had a chance to examine the female one but she has that...glint in her optic." He chuckles "Watch yourself around that one boss. As for their pet, I think it's cute and fascinating. Maybe someday I would like to keep one around." Signal_Light makes a disgusted face. "You, Jazz, are a very odd mechanoid. Anyway, I, too, should be moving on. Thank you, Sentinel, for your *generous* party." He heads towards the exit. Sentinel Prime kicks his feet up on an armrest. "No, absolutely not, I don't want that 'pet' going around in my stuff! I hate organics, they always wreck everything, man! But yeah, I think it's just the Fairway guy that's crazy. Too much drinkin', I think. And that femmebot? Heh, you leave her to me. Heheh. Grimlock, though..." He rubs his big freaking chin. "Hm. I dunno..." Nightbeat notices that Signal Light has grabbed the datapad, but Nightbeat needs to get out and warn the other camps. He is a bit perturbed by Signal Light's implication that Jazz doesn't consider this group to be a threat. He salutes Sentinel Prime politely, and he's out. Sentinel Prime waves disinterestedly at Signal Light. "Yeah, yeah, get the hell outta here. Tell your nerd buddies they can go to hell." Jazz he checks the pictures he snapped with his datapad "I will take a little trip tomorrow and ask my contacts if our newcomers ring a bell. Talk to you guys later." he says waving nonchalantly "Oh and boss? Rubbing it won't make it smaller." he jabs with a smile. Combat: Signal_Light begins retreating, leaving himself vulnerable to parting shots from Jazz and Nightbeat Sentinel Prime grumbles, "Oh, for... screw you too, Jazz! Bah!" Before long, he's passed out on the couch--not an uncommon sight, that.